Vehicle-top



(No Model.)

V. A. MENUEZ.

VEHICLE TOP. No. 342,874. Patented June 1, 1886.

NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

VINCENT A.,MENUEZ, or LANSING, KANSAS.

VEH lCLE-TOP.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 342,874, dated June 1, 1886.

Application filed November 5, 1865. Serial No. 181,935. (No model.)

I To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, VINcENT A. MENUEZ, a citizenof the United States, residing at Lansing, in the county of Leavenworth and State of Kansas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Vehicle-Tops, of which the following is a specification, reference be ing had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention has relation to improvements in vehicle or carriage top furnishings; and it consists of the combination of parts, including their construction, substantially as hereinafter set forth and claimed.

Figures 1 and 2 are front and side elevations of a standard provided with my improvements. Figs. 3, 4L, and 5 are enlarged detailed views of the plate and socket for securing the upper end of the standard. Figs. 6, 7, and 12 show the socket at the lower end of the standard and the bolt for securing the same. Figs. 8, 9, 1.0, and 11 are detail views of brackets used for bracing the standard, and are secured to the upper rail of the box at the angles thereof or along the side, as may be required,

In the embodiment of my invention I employ a socket-iron, A, which receives and for securing the lower end of each upright or vertical portion a of the bows of the carriage or vehicle top, While the upper end of said standard or vertical portionis letinto a socket-iron, A, which socket-irons A A are bolted or secured to said standard or vertical portion. The lower socketiron, A, two of whose sides are preferably deeper than the other sides, as seen in Figs. 6 and 7, is connected to the vehicle floor-timbers or frame by a headed bolt, B, passed through the bottom of said socket-iron and through said timber or frame, to which it is secured by a nut, as shown. The socket-iron A is also bolted to the upper longitudinal rail or piece, b, of the carriage or vehicle top, and to a plate, 0, placed upon said upper piece or rail, by bolts 0, passed through said plate, rail-flanges, or projections d of the socket-iron. The lower ends of these bolts 0 are secured by nuts to the flanges or projections (I, while their upper headed ends are lapped and clamped firmly in place by malleable flanges or lips e, struck up on the plate 0, and swaged upon the upper headed ends of thebolts c, as seen in Fig. 5.

Through the rail b is or may be passed a bolt, f, transversely to and interinediately of the screws or bolts which fasten the plate 0 inplace, to prevent or lessen the splitting of the rail Z).

D is a form of clip or brace iron for the standard or upright a, the application of which is seen in Fig. 8, the same being speciallyadapted for use at the corner, and having an extra apertured lug or pendant, g, giving it an additional point of connection with the side of the vehicle or carriage body.

In Fig. 9 is another or modified form of brace or clip, I), distinguished from the aforesaid clip or brace in having one of its fastening ears or lugs formed intermediately of the aperture of said ear or lug and the clip or brace proper with an outwardly-curved or offset arm, 71, to receive or make room for a bolt-head that may happen to be in alignment with the point of connection of said arm or ear with the vehicle-body.

l t will be understood that I do not limit myself to the details of construction of the parts as herein shown and described, sinceit is obvious that the same may be readily changed without violating the spirit of my inventionas, for instancet-he socket-iron A may have outwardly-projecting lugs or cars perforated to receive screws passed therethrough to fasten the same to the vehicle body or top.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. I11 vehicle-top furnishings, a standard having a socket-iron at its lower end provided with a perforation for the transmission verti cally therethrough of a bolt, the head of which is adapted to rest within the socket between its bottom and the lower end of the standard, and a nut for securing said bolt, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. In vehicle-top furnishings, the upper end standardsocket, in combination with the plate having the struck up lips or flanges adapted to be swag'ed upon the heads of bolts In testimony whereof I affix my signature in passed through said plate, and flanges or propresence of two witnesses. jections of said socket-iron, substantially as described. VINCENT A. MENUEZ. 5 3. In vehicle-top furnishings, a standardbrace one lug 0r ear of which has an offset, Vitnesses:

ash, substantially as and for the purpose set C. F. V. D'AssLER,

forth.

HENRY KEELER. 

